The volume of blood cells, such as a red blood cells (RBCs) or platelets, is an important metric that can be used to determine other physiologically and therapeutically relevant quantities. For example, the mean cell volume measurement of a patient's red blood cells can be used to assess whether the patient suffers from anemia. Measurement of blood cell constituents is another important metric that can be used for a variety of diagnostic purposes. For example, the mean cell hemoglobin content of a patient's red blood cells also can be used to assess whether a patient suffers from anemia. Such relevant quantities of cell volumes and constituents such as hemoglobin can then be used for a variety of diagnostic purposes, including identifying disease conditions present in a patient, and evaluating possible therapeutic courses of action.